Parent Information

Your wrestler's SCWAY membership card is included with DWC membership and allows participation in SCWAY-sanctioned tournaments.

Central Valley Youth Wrestling Association tournaments generally do not require membership cards.

USA Wrestling-sanctioned tournaments require a current USA Wrestling athlete membership, which is not included with DWC membership. Families choosing to attend a USA Wrestling event are responsible for purchasing that membership through the USA Wrestling Membership System.

Parents are responsible for registering their children for each tournament. DWC does not automatically enter wrestlers in tournaments.

The Tournament Schedule on the Driller Wrestling Club website lists the tournaments DWC expects to attend so families can plan ahead. Listing a tournament on the schedule does not automatically register your wrestler or mean that every DWC wrestler will participate.

The coaching staff will post recommended tournaments in the BAND App and discuss them in the wrestling room. Tournament announcements will normally identify the registration website, registration deadline, available divisions, anticipated wrestling session, and any special instructions.

Trackwrestling is the primary registration and tournament-management system used by many events. Parents should create a free parent account and use it to manage their wrestlers' profiles. You can create or access an account through the Trackwrestling login and registration page.

Always register your wrestler under Driller Wrestling Club unless a coach provides different instructions. Before submitting a registration, carefully confirm your wrestler's name, birth date, age division, weight, experience level, and club affiliation.

Youth wrestlers are generally divided into the following age groups:

• 6U
• 8U
• 10U
• 12U
• 14U

The 6U division is generally considered a beginner-level group and often does not offer a separate beginner division.

At many local tournaments, the 8U, 10U, 12U, and 14U divisions may include separate beginner divisions. Some Central Valley Youth Wrestling Association tournaments may also provide beginner divisions or divide wrestlers using two-grade groupings.

Wrestlers are normally matched with other children according to the tournament's age, grade, experience, and weight requirements. Divisions and beginner classifications differ between tournament organizations, so parents should review the tournament information and discuss any uncertainty with a DWC coach before registering.

After wrestlers are separated by age, grade, or experience, they are divided by weight. Depending on the tournament and division, weight classes may increase in approximately three- to seven-pound increments. Younger and lighter 6U wrestlers may have smaller weight increments.

Occasionally, a tournament may not have enough wrestlers to create an appropriate age and weight group for a particular child. Tournament directors may combine divisions, move a wrestler into another bracket, or advise that no suitable bracket is available. Parents should consult a DWC coach before approving a significant age or weight change.

Weight limits are normally enforced exactly, without an additional allowance. For example, if the weight class is 43 pounds and a wrestler weighs 43.1 pounds, the wrestler may be moved into the next available class, which could be 46 pounds.

Official weigh-ins are commonly completed while wearing a singlet. When permitted by the tournament, wrestlers without a singlet may weigh in wearing lightweight athletic shorts and a T-shirt. Wrestlers should remove shoes, socks, jackets, and other unnecessary clothing before stepping on the scale.

Because weigh-in rules can vary, families should always review the specific tournament instructions posted in the BAND App.

DWC does not encourage weight cutting, particularly for younger wrestlers. Families should focus on their wrestler's development, technique, confidence, nutrition, hydration, and long-term progress—not on forcing a child into a lower weight class.

A young wrestler should generally compete near their normal, healthy walking-around weight. Parents should never restrict food, limit water, use excessive exercise, or attempt another weight-cutting method without first speaking with the DWC coaching staff.

If weight management becomes appropriate for an older or more advanced wrestler, it should be approached gradually and responsibly with guidance from the coaches. A separate DWC weight-management section will provide families with more detailed information.

Most local tournaments are completed in one day and divided into a morning session and an afternoon session. Younger wrestlers generally compete earlier in the day. For example, 6U, 8U, beginner divisions, and sometimes 10U may be assigned to the morning session, while older or more experienced divisions compete in the afternoon. The exact session assignments vary by tournament.

Morning sessions commonly begin at approximately 9:00 a.m. DWC wrestlers should arrive one hour before their scheduled session unless the coaches announce an earlier arrival time. Wrestlers in the afternoon session should also arrive one hour before their scheduled start.

State, regional, and national events may last two or more days and may use different schedules. Always follow the arrival instructions posted by the DWC coaching staff.

Parents are responsible for:

• Completing tournament registration before the deadline.
• Getting their wrestler to the tournament.
• Arriving at the required time.
• Checking in or completing weigh-ins when required.
• Locating the DWC coaching staff.
• Making sure their wrestler reaches the competition floor for warmups.

DWC coaches will generally be on the floor and ready to begin warmups approximately one hour before the session starts. Parents should help their wrestler locate the team and coaches rather than assuming the coaches know the child has arrived.

Tournament floor instructions and the coaches' general location may be communicated through the BAND App. After warmups, wrestlers may return to the stands or remain in a designated staging area until their bracket and mat assignment are available.

Most bracketed tournaments use a double-elimination format. This means a wrestler is usually eliminated after two losses. The bracket will show the wrestler's opponents, match progression, and placement possibilities.

When a division has approximately five wrestlers or fewer, the tournament may use a round-robin format instead. In a round robin, each wrestler generally competes against every other wrestler in the group. It is not a double-elimination bracket, so a wrestler may still have matches remaining after two losses.

Never leave a tournament without checking with a DWC coach. Your wrestler may have another match, placement bout, or round-robin contest remaining.

Parents should use the tournament's designated application to follow brackets, opponents, match order, results, and mat assignments. Trackwrestling is the primary system used by many tournaments, although some organizations use different applications.

Keep your wrestler close enough to hear announcements and reach the assigned mat promptly. Mat assignments may change during the tournament, so parents should continue monitoring the application and any announcements from the coaching staff.

Parents are generally not permitted on the competition floor. Some tournaments sell unrestricted coaches' wristbands that may technically allow a parent onto the floor, but DWC discourages parents from doing so.

Please allow the DWC coaches and staff to coach your wrestler. Parents can support their children, enjoy the matches, and usually obtain better photographs and video from the spectator stands. Most venues provide a clear view of the wrestling area.

Parents are responsible for paying the wrestler's tournament registration fee when completing online registration.

Once registered, the wrestler normally does not need a separate spectator-admission wristband. Parents, relatives, and friends may still be required to purchase general-admission wristbands. Floor or coaches' wristbands are separate when offered.

All tournament registration charges, admission prices, and wristband policies are established by the tournament organizer—not by Driller Wrestling Club.

Wrestlers should arrive wearing their DWC team shirt and athletic shorts and should always bring wrestling shoes.

A wrestling singlet should be worn for competition whenever possible. The DWC Team Store offers club-approved singlets in a wide range of youth sizes at prices intended to remain affordable compared with many outside vendors.

Families should also bring any additional items recommended by the coaches, including headgear when required, water, healthy snacks, and a change of clothing.

Tournament days can be long, so wrestlers should begin the day with a familiar meal that is easy to digest and provides lasting energy. Foods containing carbohydrates, such as oatmeal and fruit, can be good pre-competition choices.

Families should bring water and, when appropriate, an electrolyte drink. Energy drinks and highly caffeinated products are discouraged for young wrestlers.

Light snacks such as fruit, crackers, and pretzels can help wrestlers maintain their energy throughout the morning or afternoon without making them feel overly full. Wrestlers should eat small amounts between matches rather than consuming a large meal immediately before competing.

Large servings of chicken, steak, fish, or other heavier foods are not recommended immediately before wrestling or between matches because they may be difficult to digest or upset the wrestler's stomach. Greasy food from tournament concession stands is also discouraged because it may make the wrestler feel sluggish and limit performance.

Some tournaments have food vendors, but the available choices may be limited and may not be ideal for athletes. Families should prepare ahead by bringing familiar foods and drinks that their wrestler already tolerates well.